


Friends

by bluesaturn



Series: Pride Month 2020 [4]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Trans Gavin Reed, Transphobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:27:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24705304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluesaturn/pseuds/bluesaturn
Summary: Nines discovers why Gavin is always so rude to everyone.
Relationships: Hank Anderson & Gavin Reed, Hank Anderson/Connor (background), Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Series: Pride Month 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769089
Comments: 1
Kudos: 149





	Friends

"You're an ass," Nines said.  
He just observed Gavin being a complete ass to their new coworker, Stacy, unprompted, for the third time that day and Nines found himself confused as to why. As far as he could tell there was no reason for Gavin’s hostility.   
Million-dollar processors and yet Nines still couldn't manage to make sense of the human conundrum that was Gavin Reed.  
Gavin shrugged as if to say: _So what?_

"Why?", Nines asked the question that his processors couldn't stop thinking about.  
It was... confusing, to say the least. It wasn't an emotion Nines had been very familiar with until the day he met Gavin Reed. Since then, however, he was fairly certain it had become his primary emotion. His social protocols weren't as advanced as Connor’s. Still, he was sure, both of theirs suggested that humans didn't just hate other humans for no reason at all.  
Yet, Gavin Reed seemed to be the one exception. 

Nines was missing some kind of variable, but he wasn't sure what it could be. Or how to get the Detective to tell him. Every time it seemed as if he and Gavin managed to grow closer, the Detective pulled away again. As if he was scared of getting hurt. Or perhaps he still wasn't comfortable with the thought of Nines being an Android. 

He found the idea somewhat unlikely, considering he'd seen the Detective finally pull of those awful Anti-Android stickers from his desk a couple of weeks ago. Actually, it had been months since Gavin had last insulted him. That was probably more than anyone else in this office could say.

Gavin just sighed at his question and closed the case file on his monitor.  
"Wanna grab lunch?"  
Not upset at least then.  
"I don't eat," Nines reminded him unnecessarily, because he enjoyed the way the Detective rolled his eyes every time he said it.  
"Whatever. You really wanna know?"  
Nines nodded.  
"Fine. Then we're grabbing lunch. I'm not talking about this in the office. Plus, I'm craving a burger."  
Nines weighed the pros and cons of that. Letting have Gavin junk food would probably improve his mood, plus there was a chance he might get an actual answer this time.  
"Very well, Detective. Lead the way."

They ended up at a food stand that looked eerily similar to the one he saw in Connor's memories. No anti-Android sentiments on it though, thank rA9 for small mercies. 

Gavin ordered a cheeseburger, fries and a cola, but Nines bit his tongue. He was going to let him indulge just that once, for the chance to actually get to know his partner better. He had long stopped pretending that his interest in Gavin Reed was strictly professional. That it was strictly the need to be close so they could have a good working relationship. It was something else, the desire for friendship, for closeness, for something…more.   
He looked at Gavin the same way Connor looked at Hank. He was not sure what to make of that yet. 

Gavin finished at least half his burger before he started to speak. Nines wasn't certain what he expected, but Gavin actually started opening up to him. If it was to get him to shut up or if he was actually learning to trust Nines remained to be seen.

Gavin was talking between bites of his burger and if Nines had been human, perhaps he'd been disgusted by it, seeing him chew while talking. He just found it.. fascinating. Everything about Gavin Reed was fascinating to him.

"When I joined the Academy, I had only just come out as trans. No one - no one at the station respected my pronouns or even fucking used my name and it was - it was hell. The only person that was ever fucking nice to me was Anderson. Always had my back. Well, until the whole thing with his kid happened. And like, I got it. A couple of months, a year maybe to collect yourself. But he didn't get better, he got worse. And then he started drinking. And suddenly I didn't have anyone in my corner anymore. No one, that was looking out for me. I hated him for that. And then I began to push everyone away. If you're just a fucking asshole to everyone, no one tries to talk to you. And usually, if they hall insults at me now it's followed by Reed. Which, I can fucking deal with that. At least that’s my actual name."

Nines wasn't quite sure what to say. He has never been at a loss for words before in his entire short life. His LED was blinking yellow, yellow, processing.  
He just wanted to make that look of hurt on Gavin's face go away.

"Gavin," he said softly and reached out a hand, to lay on Gavin's arm in a comforting gesture. He was not quite used to using touch as comfort and by the look, the Detective gave him for it, maybe neither was Gavin. Neither of them pulled away, however. 

He wanted to hug Gavin or just do something, but he was quite sure that Gavin wouldn't have allowed it. He didn't like to be comforted. Nines was starting to understand a bit better why that may be the case in that moment. His LED whirled yellow, as he cracked another puzzle. 

"That's why you keep on rejecting the Lieutenant's lunch invitations," Nines realized. Gavin shrugged, acting as if it wasn't a big deal but he knew him well enough by now to see the pain masked behind that action.  
"I know he wants to apologize or whatever and I just - I can't."  
Gavin slurped his cola obnoxiously. Nines didn't say that it reminded him of Hank doing the same thing.  
"I mean, I know it's not his fault or whatever and his kid died. That's gotta suck. But - I guess it's just easier to be mad at him than it is to be mad at the world for being so damn shitty."

Nines imagined it, a young Gavin Reed at the force, trying to fit in, trying to make friends and him getting made fun of it, time and time again until he felt the need to shut everyone else out. There wasn’t really a word that felt much more fitting than shitty, really.

"I'm sorry," Nines said because he was uncertain what else there was to say.   
Gavin probably wasn't ever going to hear it from his old colleagues, but at least Nines could say it, even if it wasn't his fault.  
Then he added: "Thank you for telling me that, you didn't have to", because getting Gavin to open up was such a feat in itself and he tended to do it more when Nines seemed… grateful for it.

Gavin made a dismissive motion with his hand before he bit into his burger. He started talking again, while he was chewing. Nines grinned.  
"Whatever, I wanted to. I like to think we're friends."  
Nines couldn’t help the fond smile on his face at the words. Who would have thought, one day, he and Gavin being friends. He sure wouldn't have thought it possible on that very first day.

"Huh. Haven't had a friend in a while,” Gavin added, as if he himself was surprised by the words he just said.  
Nines mused over that.   
He supposed it couldn’t have been easy for Gavin to make friends, considering. It was s a wonder they were standing there having this conversation at all. A small miracle.  
"Well, I'm thankful for the honor."  
Gavin snorted at that.

Nines was a little lost in thought after that. There was something he would have liked to say, after all, but he was not quite sure if he'd be stepping over any boundaries in saying anything. Then again, stepping over boundaries one shouldn't step over was just what he and Gavin did, really.

"What's on your mind, R2D2?", Gavin asked  
Nines rolled his eyes at the nickname and ignored the fond feeling he got at hearing it all the same.  
"I can see that spirling yellow," Gavin explained, looking at Nines' LED.  
Gavin realized before he could even say the words. If, because it was obvious or if it was because they're just so close now, that Gavin could guess his thoughts, Nines' wasn't entirely sure. He kind of hoped it was the latter though.

"You think I should go to lunch with Anderson," Gavin said and Nines nodded.  
"I think it would be beneficial for both of you", Nines stated diplomatically.   
He knew it would be, but he was gonna let make Gavin that decision for himself.  
Gavin sighed.   
It was clear he missed whatever friendship he once had with Hank, a long time ago, but was scared to rekindle it, even if Hank was doing better now than he had been in a very long time, thanks to Connor.

"I don't know," Gavin sighed. "I want to but also I -"  
He didn't finish the sentence-  
"What If I come with you?", Nines suggested.   
It wasn’t an entirely unselfish request, Nines just enjoyed spending time with Gavin. But mostly, he just wanted him to be comfortable.  
"You would do that?"  
It was a little worrisome how surprised Gavin sounded at that. Hell, Nines was fairly certain there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for Gavin. He didn’t say that out loud, however, because he knew how Gavin could get with feelings.  
"Of course I would," is what he settled on.

Gavin smiled at him, relieved. He was so beautiful when he smiled. Nines should make it a mission to make him smile more often.  
"Thank you, Nines," Gavin said and touched his arm, a replica of Nines' tender gesture from earlier.   
His skin felt as if it was prickling underneath Gavin's fingertips. The interaction only lasted a couple of seconds but to Nines they felt like an eternity.  
"Thank you," Gavin repeated and then returned to his burger.  
Nines watched, smiling fondly, as Gavin finished the last bite of it.


End file.
